Candidates running for the four open seats on the Conroe Independent School District's board of trustees all promise to ensure the best quality education possible while carefully managing limited financial resources.

Only one position is contested in the Nov. 6 election. Jessica Powell is challenging incumbent Joe Michels for Position 7.

Michels, who currently serves as the assistant secretary on the board, was appointed in August 2011 to fill the unexpired term of Gerald Irons, who retired.

Instead of calling for a special election, the board decided to fill the vacancy, and Michels was unanimously approved for the job. "I was honored that all 19 candidates unanimously chose me," he said. "It gave me the confidence to enter this election."

Michels, who practices law in downtown Houston, has served on a wide variety of civic and charitable boards and was mayor of Oak Ridge North before joining the school board.

He believes his experience in government makes him an ideal candidate for the board. "I understand how public funding and accountability work," he said.

His experience so far on the board also gives him an edge, he said. He has visited almost every school in the district to talk to teachers about their concerns. "I get teacher and student input from all over the district," he said. "I'm able to give direct feedback."

Michels said the most important issue facing CISD is keeping excellence as a classroom standard.

"We have to maintain the high level of education we provide for our kids," he said. "We consistently out-perform, compared to state averages."

Powell said she better understands the classroom. She spent seven years as an English teacher and four years in staff development at CISD, before becoming an instructional technology specialist in the Huntsville Independent School District.

"I've been active with various teachers' groups for years," Powell said. "Now that there are no teachers or former teachers on the board, I just want to keep that perspective in the decision-making process."

Both candidates agree that the district must respond to the crunch from the state Legislature budget cuts.

Michels said remaining fiscally conservative is the key to keeping the education standard high in the midst of state budget cuts.

"We have public dollars, and we have to spend them as though they are our last dime," he said. "We have to be financially transparent."

So far, CISD has been able to provide quality education at a lower tax rate, Michels said. Two recent studies – the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas and the Financial Allocation Study of Texas - gave CISD their highest ratings.

"It's very important that we keep people on the board, like me, who have helped us get that rating," Michels said. "I'm pushing to maintain our tax rate and keep it there for the next several years."

Powell, on the other hand, said it is time to take a fresh look at the current operating system. "Conservatism is only going to get them so far," she said. "We have to consider growing classroom size and teacher salaries."

She believes that board members with business experience may not fully envision how the tightened budgets have affected schools. "They understand money matters, but they may not understand how those decisions truly affect the classroom," she said.

Powell was recently endorsed by the Texas State Teachers Association.

John Husbands, Position 6, is seeking re-election and running unopposed.

Ann Snyder, Position 4, and Lynda Sasser, Position 5, announced they will retire from the board. Snyder will be replaced by Dantren Williams, and Scott Kidd will take Sasser's seat - since neither seat was contested.

Williams said he moved to the area 12 years ago, because he heard that CISD schools were high quality. He now has three children in the district and his wife is an educator.

"It's imperative for me to protect the investment we've made in the district," he said. "I'm committed to the community, and I believe the school system is the foundation for its success."

Early voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22 through Friday, Oct. 26, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday Oct. .28 and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday Oct. 29 to Friday, Nov. 2.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, visit www.montgomeryvotes.org or call 936-539-7843.